this work permit thing is bugging me a bit. I wonder if, once a player has been playing in an Italian or Spanish club, despite their non EU origins, maybe they are then able to move around Europe on a similar work agreement? Do they need a work permit to work in Spain/Italy? Would they be as restricted as we all think or are we missing something?
Loanees from Granada and Udinese could easily be done " on Free permanent contracts and transferred back after a season! I dont see how we could be restricted otherwise.
Good article Yorkie. We hear and read a lot about the "project", but in some ways I wonder if experiment would be a better word.
Yes good one.... I always have problems with these terms... but at least we now have something more than a back of an envelope plan....
There is a good interview on Hornet Player with GZ. You do have to be signed in to see it unfortunately.
Will not be drawn, but did say there were quite a few financial issues that had to be addressed. I think that the rumours about Baz are proving to be true.
The supporters trust have been sought out for a comment. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18793513 Is there anyone left apart from me yet to give an interview?
I have found the error in http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18793513 - Watford have not played in the top flight since 2005. I think that Watford were last in the Premier league in 2006-7.
OK Any Glory Hunters, looks like you're following the right club. Assume most by now have seen the words of Mr Scott Duxbury interviewed earlier. I have already admitted to not being SDs biggest fan, but he's out cos they didnt know him (they probably dont know many in English Football) & couldnt give the time to see him in practice,even for a few months! They obviously expect INSTANT success, so you who I've criticised before for having heads in the clouds now can DEMAND big things from the new regime. AND the logical thing about all this ?? G Zola, good person no doubt,good footballer too, but questionable record in managing players but seems was their immediate choice ! No knowledge of any other call for his services for about 2 years.I wish you no ill whatsoever Mr Zola, but could you be a relative of the owners ?? If you're not I wouldnt want the pressure you could be under....which could show on the pitch ? Of course Mr S Duxbury, in possibly corporate suit,you 'Respect their(owners) decision to replace Sean'....you also happen to be in their,perhaps generous, pay !! 'Family Club',good days especially when they actually practised what they preached and somehow,considering the size of the club, achieved a fair amount of success on the field. Looks like Big Business has arrived now, might excite those of you only interested in success(although you must know it cannot be guaranteed and there still surely a limit how much a club like this can actually achieve?). If anyones interested in starting an Indoor Cricket League Aug to May approx, in the South do speak.
Good spot Yorkie! Thanks Al Sadly, they weren't rumours (alledgedly, in case his lawyers are watching). I heard what would happen the day he took over, and we were in far greater a mess than we'll probably ever know about. Walter Mitty has nothing on our erstwhile owner. And for the record, i too, don't understand why, just because they didn't know Sean Dyche, they weren't willing to give him a chance. By all accounts, they didn't know Zola either, having never met him, so to say it's because they didn't know Sean that they didn't keep him on, simply doesn't add up. To be honest, they wouldn't have given him long to succeed it would seem, but how could they possibly know how he would manage with more available to him, and how could they possibly have known he wouldn't have played their way until they gave him a try. That's the only thing about all this that really get's my goat (not that i own a goat, you understand )
They sounded me out for one, but then realised that they needed something they could broadcast before the watershed.
It is interesting that the top men in this venture (Nani and the younger Pozzo) have a background in football as agents. Now we know that agents make money out of selling footballers as often as possible and for the highest price possible. Active agents have been a major factor in the inflation of player transfer fees and wages over the last few decades. Now these clever fellows,from their position inside the industry, see a way of extending this model-- by actually producing the players for sale themselves. Nani even set up his own club to "showcase" his wares--but better if you can "showcase" your wares in an established club in a competitive league, with a media friendly manager who will get you lots of attention (not a nitty-gritty manager who will just get on with the job of creating a successful team) Their whole approach is to make money out of selling footballers--preferably at the top of their value--which may be better than selling when you need cash to pay the creditors, but is a new approach for our club, and not one that every manager would buy into (maybe that explains Zola and not Dyche) . It is a football culture that sees players as basically commodities , to be developed, showcased and sold --so that is what the club is now --not a "feeder club" but a "finishing school" and "show case". No-one has really tried this before in English football so it remains to be seen how it will work out and what it means for the fans. The Pozzo's are serious business men (people from Northern Italy are usually very serious in business---forget all those mafia jokes) and will give it a good go. They are not raising expectations too much about the Premiership because that is not essential to the project. as owners they are more re-assuring than the new billionaire owners of Notts Forest who are talking of "restoring the team to their rightful place in the top division". When people talk like that you know it will all end badly
Thanks Roger. More reasoned comment. I am getting a little tired of the hysteria that is developing around this takeover. I'm not saying the takeover is a bad thing, far from it, but we will not be in the Champion's League in 2014.
But NZ I thought we would be World Club Champions by then Meanwhile back on planet earth, Roger good piece very well written
Actually we will be the only team. All the others will have given up because they will know that they can never win anything.
